Without Walls’ art project spotlights homelessness in Rockford

ROCKFORD — Kenny Litteral knows what others are thinking when they see the looks of people like him walking down the street. They try to figure out what drives people to become homeless.

INSIDE: If you go

Jennifer Wheeler

BELOW: If you go

ROCKFORD — Kenny Litteral knows what others are thinking when they see the looks of people like him walking down the street.

They try to figure out what drives people to become homeless. They wonder if it’s a lifestyle choice, substance abuse problem or a stroke of bad luck that put them in their situations.

They stare and lock their car doors. And if they aren’t judging, they’re ignoring.

“They are not just a part of the scene. They are not just an eyesore downtown. They’re people,” Litteral said he wants to tell them. “They have lives. They get up and go to work.”

He said neither scenario is fair to this group. And neither scenario allows others to see the beauty in the people or their situations.

“We’re not bad people, just bad circumstances,” Litteral said.

A local art project may soon be able to change that.

The Bethesda Covenant Church gave Litteral and 11 others disposable cameras to capture what life is like for the homeless. Their goal: snap pictures of what it’s really like to live in the Rock River Valley without always having a roof over their heads.

The amateur photographers were told that their pictures would be shown in the “Without Walls” homeless art project, which will be displayed at Fall ArtScene this Friday and Saturday. Money from sold artwork will benefit this group of photographers and Carpenter’s Place, a nonprofit that provides resources to homeless adults.

Some photos taken are gut wrenching, showing the long lines that people wait in to receive a hot meal, said Therese Rowinski, a local artist and church member. Others display the word

“Abandoned” in graffiti or a stoic shot of the Rockford Rescue Mission.

One group of photos shows the objects the photographer was most grateful for, like a hot shower or a washer and dryer.

But then there are others that showed the area’s beautiful architecture that people miss in the every day hustle and bustle.

“The photos show the beauty around that they see and that we don’t because we’re hurrying around,” Rowinski said.

The project allows people to take a step back and think about the little things that many people take for granted, said Cathy Barsema, director of guest services for Carpenter’s Place. It allows them to see the good in the homeless and the things they come to realize through their struggles.

People would then learn that Litteral is a talented artist who likes to draw and paint. They would see he’s the type of guy who took the necessary substance abuse classes and employment programs to turn his life around.

“If you get out of the stereotype of someone on the street taking away from society, it gives you the opportunity to look at the person,” she said.

Jennifer Wheeler: 815-987-1354; jwheeler@rrstar.com; @jenmwheeler

IF YOU GO

What: Fall ArtScene
Where: The “Without Walls” project will be displayed at the Bethesda Covenant Church, 2101 E. State St,. Rockford.
When: 5 to 9 p.m. today and 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday
Cost: Fall ArtScene is free. “Without Walls” images cost between $50 and $80.
For more information: Call the church at 815-397-4212 or artist Therese Rowinski at 815-985-8462.